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Historical Sermon, 



PREACHED BY THE 



REV. JOHN W. LEEK, 

Rector of St. Michael's Church, 

MAKBLEHEAD, MASS., 
At the Occasion of its 158th Anniversary 

ON 

St. Michael's Day, 

SEPTEMBER 29th, 1872. 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 



PEABODY : 

PRINTED AT "THE PEABODY PRESS OFFICE," WARREN BANK BUILDING. 

1873. _ 



Historical Sermon, 



PREACHED BY THE 



REV. JOHN W. LEEK, 

Rector of St. Michael's Church, 
MARBLEHEAD, MASS., 

At the Occasion of its 158th Anniversary, 



ON 



St. Michael's Day, 



SEPTEMBER 29th, 1872. 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 



PEABODY: 

PRINTED AT "THE PEABODY PRESS OFFICE," WARREN BANK BUILDING. 

1873. 



HISTORICAL SERMON. 



Text. — Psalms LXXX. 14 and 15 verses. ''Return, we beseech 
thee. O God of hosts : look down from heaven, and behold, and visit 
this vine: and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and 
the branch that thou madest. strong for thyself." 

These words were written and this psalm was sung 
when, after years of wicked departures from God and 
unholy alliances with idolaters, the two kingdoms of 
Judah and Israel were invited by King Hezekiah to 
assemble in Jerusalem in the Holy Temple he had 
cleansed and there keep a solemn passover before the 
Lord. 

His invitation was accepted and a repentant and 
grateful people rehearsed the mercies of God, offered 
freely their gifts upon the altar and poured their 
treasures into the holy coffers, while their prayers 
ascended in fullest recognition of the Divine mercies 
and in humble supplication for His return and holy 
blessing to His church and people. 

In the spirit of this prayer and with many things 
in our history analagous to the condition of the church 
in Jerusalem, so pathetically described in the pieced- 



incr verses, viz: — "Thou hast brought a vine out of 
" Egypt : thou hast cast out the heathen and planted 
" it ; Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause 
•• it to take deep root, and it filled the land ; the hills 
"were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs 
" thereof were like the goodly cedars ; she sent out her 
"boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river; 
" why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that 
"all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The 
" boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast 
"of the field doth devour it," — in this spirit of the 
prayer of our text do we stand on this holy feast of 
"St. Michael and All Angels," to celebrate the 158//; 
Anniversary of the Oldest Parish Church in New En- 
gland, " St. Michael's of Marblehead." 

In the year 1628, " The Dorchester Co.," of England, 
settled Salem and Marblehead jointly as a "fishing sta- 
tion and plantation." with Capt. John Endicott as agent, 
and Rev. Mr. Lyford as minister. Roger Conant, with 
Mr. Lyford, had two years before commenced a settle- 
ment by removing from Cape Ann to Bass River, now 
Beverly. 

In 1649 Marblehead was incorporated as a distinct 
settlement, and it soon became a very important "fish- 
ing station" and commanded a large and profitable 
trade with foreign parts, especially Bilboa, Spain ; so 
that, at the commencement of the Revolutionary War, 
this town had become "the second in the colony both 
in population and wealth," having about 40 ships, brigs 
and other vessels engaged in the foreign trade. 

"As to its numbers and opulence," says the Rev. Mr. 
Stone of this time, " it swarmed with inhabitants, was 



" a pattern of industry, flourished in trade, and abound- 
" ed in wealth ; from hence, as from a fountain, streams 
" of wealth flowed out, which greatly enriched the vicin- 
" ity, and penetrated far into the country." 

These were the days when Spanish doubloons were 
plentiful, and it is scarcely credible now, yet such is the 
truth, when English oppression first began to be felt in 
Boston and her port was closed, Marblehead made con- 
tribution to her necessities of fish, oil and money to the 
amount of $1500.00. 

In 177-5 Marblehead raised, equipped and furnished 
for the Colonial Army at Cambridge, a full regiment of 
1000 men ; and at this time St. Michael's Church was 
strong and prosperous, and had an influence far beyond 
the limits of the town. 

As early as 1707, measures were taken and a sub- 
scription raised to build a church in Marblehead, to be 
used for the worship of God, according to the "Liturgy 
of the Church of England." 

Salem had no church till 14 years later, and "King's 
Chapel," Boston, was built in 1689, under the patronage 
of King Charles II. and "Queen Anne's," Newbury, 
from which came St. Paul's of Newburyport, the church 
which had the honor of giving to Massachusetts its first 
Bishop, built in 1711, were the only churches in Massa- 
chusetts. And "Old Trinity," in Newport, Bhode Is- 
land, was the only other in all New England. 

In 1714 the people sent the following petition to the 
venerable and useful Society for " The Propagation of 
the Gospel in Foreign parts," founded in London in the 
year 1701. Of this petition, Dr. Humphrey, the honor- 
ed secretary in 1728, remarks: "The inhabitants of 



" Marblehead, in the year 1714, sent the following peti- 
" tion to the Society, which speaks the hearty disposi- 
" tion of the people, when they set up the Church of 
" England worship ; and this upon the proof of many 
" years' experience, appears plainly to have been no sud- 
" den heat or start of zeal ; but a well grounded sense 
" of the excellency of our Church, since they have eon- 
" tinued in the same spirit ever since." 
This is the petition: — 

" Whereas, your petitioners out of a just esteem for 
" the excellent constitution of the Church of England, 
" both in its Doctrine and Discipline and Form of Gov- 
" ernment, have subscribed sufficient sums of money to- 
" wards the erecting of a building for the service of 
" Almighty God, according to the manner of worship 
" prescribed in the Church of England ; your petition- 
" ers humbly desire the Honorable Society's favour and 
" encouragement, in sending a minister to them with all 
" convenient speed, with the usual salary allowed their 
" missionaries. 

ft Of ivhat consideration your petitioners are, will be 
"seen by the number of their names and the value of 
" their subscriptions underwritten. We must also add, 
"that the town of Marblehead (next Boston) is the 
" greatest place of trade and commerce within this prov- 
" ince, daily adding to their numbers, persons chiefly of 
"the Church of England. And by the blessing of God, 
" we have a certain prospect, that the Church here will 
"be every day increased and flourish more and more. 

" Upon these accounts, we hope the Venerable Society 
" will be pleased to grant our requests, and your peti- 



" tioners shall always pray for the Society's prosperity 
'• and success in all their great and glorious designs." 

To this petition, Dr. Humphrey adds the following: — 
"It must be noted here, ike people did fully pei form 
" what they promised ; and the sum intimated in their 
''petition for 'Building of a Church,' was no less than 
" £416, subscribed by 45 persons, and the people have 
" continued constant to this present time, in their fnm 
" adherence to the Church of England." 

The earliest records preserved of this parish are in 
the year 1716. In them are found the names of 34 
persons called " Benefactors" credited with subscriptions 
to the amount of £175. 

Dr. Humphrey says 45 persons signed this petition, 
and that they had subsciibed £416 for the "Building 
of a Church," which amount is fully corroborated by 
other testimony, hence the 34 names preserved in the 
Records must be those of such Benefactors as pledged 
themselves to the support of the clergyman. 

This is the honored list, viz: — 



Col. Francis Nicholson, 
Capt. Arthur Savage, 
" John Thomson, 
'• Joseph Fraze, 
" Richard Chisman, 
" Abraham Winter, Jun., 
" Jon. is Motts, 
" Thomas Moray, 
" Benjamin Johns, 
" Endymion Walker, 
" John Branscomb, 
" Francis Franklin, 



Capt. John Varnam, 
Win. Atwocd, 
" George Woodhouse, 
" James Fendall, 
" Patrick Aikman, 
" Thomas Gallop, 
" John Brown, 
" Th's Wanmouth, 
" Wm. Bushill, 
" John Knowlton, 
" Walter Boswell, 
" Robert Bodicome, 



Capt. Samuel Paer, Capt. Richard Showers. 

Joseph Wright, Mr. Henry Whilton, 

" John Liscomb, " Wm. Stacey, 

" George Richards, " John Barnard, 

" John Martin, " Sam'l Ingerson. 

The remarkable fact appears in this record that all 
but four of the gentlemen are titled. Twenty-nine of 
them were sea captains, and the one whose name heads 
the list was an English officer with the rank of colonel 
and who was afterwards appointed Governor of South 
Carolina — Col. Francis Nicholson. 

To him was given the privilege, after he removed 
to South Carolina in 1722, of naming the church. From 
this christian gentleman came that honored name, " St. 
Michael's," which, through all these years, has reminded 
us of the faith of the church in those "ministering spir- 
its" of God, which are "sent forth to minister to them 
that shall be heirs of salvation." 

In response to the urgent petition, we have read the 
" Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
"Parts," sent as missionary to Marblehead, the Rev. 
William Shaw, who remained three years, and then, 
in consequence of failing health, asked and obtained 
leave to return to England. 

The next year alter, the Rev. David Mossom was 
sent from England and for nine years he did faithful 
work both here and in Newbury, where he ministered 
also in 1720 after the death of the Rev. Mr. Lucas. 

The result of his labors was highly encouraging. The 
first two years in Marblehead the number of communi- 
cants was doubled — "thirteen grown persons had been 
baptised and seventy infants." In 1725 he reports to 



the Society in England : " The number of communi- 
cants has increased to fifty and a whole family in Salem 
had conformed to the Church." 

In 1727 Mr. Mossom removed to accept the rector- 
ship of St. Peter's Church, New Kent County, Virginia? 
where he became the pastor of the revered Washington, 
whom he afterwards united in marriage to Miss Custis. 

The next missionary was the Rev. George Pigot, who 
had been successful in establishing Christ Church in 
Stratford, Connecticut, in 1723, and also grandly useful 
in Providence and Bristol, Rhode Island, where he la- 
bored until 1727, when he removed to Marblehead and 
remained nine years, and until ill health compelled him 
to resign. His wife was buried here in 1751, and Mr. 
Pigot died in England or on the passage. Of him the 
Rev. Jno. N. Norton, in his life of Bishop Bass, says : — 

" Mr. Pigot's course of usefulness was interrupted in 
" 1738 by domestic sorrow. A fearful epidemic broke 
" out in Marblehead, (the small pox,) carrying off about 
"400 of its inhabitants, and among them, and within 
"three weeks, four of the missionary's children. In the 
" midst of his affliction, Mr. Pigot went to visit a poor 
" parishioner, who was confined to a sick bed, and fall- 
" ing upon a ridge of ice, he broke his left arm. A 
" second time, in the course of the summer, he fractured 
" the same arm, and with health and spirits shattered, 
" he sought and obtained leave to return to England." 

This is the sad history of a most devoted man of 
God, and it is with sorrow profound that we turn to an 
autobiography, which is frequently quoted and credited 
as a history of the times, viz : — that of Mr. John 
Barnard. He characterizes Mr. Pigot as a "worthless 



10 

" man, who, for some reason known to himself, anon ran 
" away from his people." Of the Rev. Mr. Shaw, this 
same writer says " He was a poor, mean bigot." And 
like to this language does Mr. Barnard use towards all 
the earlier rectors of this church, with how much fair- 
ness may be judged from the record of Mr. Pigot. 

For four years after the decease of Mr. Pigot, the 
church was without a minister, sustaining its services 
by lay reading until 1740, when the Rev. Alexander 
Malcom, of Scotland, was made rector. He remained 
nine years, and then removed to Maryland. 

In 1753, the Rev. Peter Bourse took the charge of 
the parish, and remained its honored and highly suc- 
cessful minister until his sudden death in 1762. His 
tomb is in our church yard, and his memory is precious. 

This good man was succeeded by the Rev. Joshua 
Wingate Weeks, under whose rectorship continued pros- 
perity resulted, until the Revolutionary War swept its 
fiery flood over the land, affecting no place on the con- 
tinent more seriously than Marblehead. 

Her commerce was destroyed; her loyal men flew to 
arms; all her wealth and resources were engaged to 
sustain the " Declaration of Independence." British 
ships, loaded with armed foes, passed her harbor almost 
daily and so near that the faces of red coated soldiers 
could be seen from our Neck. Hundreds of men and 
thousands of dollars were, during this trying period, 
sacrificed upon our country's altar. And when the war 
ended, the people were impoverished and in mourning 
for the hundreds of slain fathers and brothers. 

Up to this time, St. Michael's Church had highly 
prospered, nobly sustaining all the services at home 



11 

and aiding to build the church at Pownalborough, Me., 
under the labors of the Rev. Mr. Baily. The imper- 
fect records give us a list of 1901 baptisms; and Mr. 
Weeks says, in his report to the S. P. G. F. P., in 
the year 1778: — 

"The church of Marblehead, before these unhappy 
"times, was large. Almost all the young people of 
" any note in the town, flocked to it, and there was 
"no testimon}' of their love and esteem which they 
"were not ready to give me. It grew up under my 
" ministry to a very flourishing state ; but the breath of 
" rebellion made it wither away in a very strange man- 
" ner. Some, terrified by the threats of the rebels, 
"were afraid to attend it, and others, growing disaffect- 
" ed to government, spontaneously left it. There were 
"only about fifty (!) families on whose fidelity I could 
" rely, as they were still attached to our constitution, 
"both in church and state. 

"For nearly a year after Independence was declared 
" by the Congress, they generally attended divine ser- 
" vice in the church where I constantly used the Lit- 
" urgy, till the General Assembly made a law against 
" it ; when it was judged best for me to desist. Mr. 
" Gilchrist, of Salem, shut up his church at the same 
" time. After this I frequently visited my flock from 
" house to house and instructed their children and com- 
" forted them in their troubles, and endeavoured to en- 
" courage them in their religion and loyalty." 

In reading this extract, it must be borne in mind, 
that, although Mr. Weeks was born in New England, 
he received Holy Orders in England, and thereby took 
his solemn oath of allegiance to the crown. He and his 



12 

church, by Constitution, Liturgy and Sacred Oath, were 
loyal to the British King. " God preserve the Church 
"and King" was the formal ascription with which all 
vestry meetings were closed. It is not strange, there- 
fore, that in these revolutions and overturn of the 
government, that 'a minister holding such obligations 
and using the prescribed form of Liturgy which daily 
prayed for the Royal King, should become an object of 
suspicion. 

Mr. Weeks had finally to flee to Nova Scotia, and 
the church was closed for a time and then re-opened in 
1780, with lay reading by Mr. Woodward Abraham, 
which condition of things existed until two years after 
the American Constitution was adopted. And yet, not- 
withstanding all these troubles, 120 candidates were 
presented for confirmation on the first visit of Bishop 
Seabury, in the year 1787. 

We pause now and look back over the record from 
1714 to 1770 — a period of sixty-two years — and find 
much to cause increased faith in God and sorrow for 
man. This church represented a principle, not a passion; 
a kingdom, and not an idea ; and it stood in this new 
land as the representative of Law and Order in the 
kingdom of God and loyalty to the "powers that be' 1 
in the government of men. 

An unfortunate political contest had arisen in En- 
gland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, between 
Conformists and Non-Conformists. The Puritans op- 
posed the vestments and ceremonies, not because they 
hated them, but because the men in power sustained 
them. The long struggle for supremacy ended in Puri- 
tan defeat in England and their transfer of the venom 



13 

and passion of the contest to these shores. They came 
here for "freedom to worship God," (?) and were sternly 
sincere in their worship and inflexibly severe in their 
punishments. 

But while they fled to America that they might in 
freedom worship God, that freedom was not for years 
awarded to others. Quakers were hung, Baptists and 
Episcopalians banished. Isaac Allerton was driven from 
Marblehead, and John and Samuel Brown from Salem — 
the first because he was a loyalist, and the others be- 
cause they were churchmen, and though they attended 
Puritan worship, read the Prayer Book in their own 
houses. These men, who hung and drowned respectable 
people accused of witchcraft, did not willingly consent 
that the Church of England should be established here. 
They felt themselves aggrieved children cast out by 
their mother, and " stood with scowling brows and 
" sturdy arms to repel that mother from their shores." 

In 1646 a few church people asked the privilege of 
establishing worship, according to the Church Liturgy, 
in Boston ; for which they were decidedly rebuffed, and 
nothing of the kind was allowed for twenty years after. 

When the church was established in Marblehead, all 
its communicants, as well as congregation, were taxed 
to support the " Standing Order," or Puritan worship. 
This tax was levied and collected till the year 1722, al- 
though repeated and respectful appeals were made to 
the " selectmen " of the town ; and not until the inter- 
ference of Gov. Shute was obtained, was the burden 
removed. Of these times we need not speak now, how- 
ever; for in the heat, and excitement of days when hot 
blood was rushing constantly to new and mighty deeds, 



14 

many things were done over which, in charity, we must 
draw the vail. 

St. Michael's Church now stands an exotic in a 
strange land. Her noble founders are now stigmatized 
as tories. Her Constitution is reckoned adverse to Lib- 
erty, and her Liturgy a relic of Papacy and aristocracy. 

The Royal Coat of Arms which had surmounted the 
reredos and altar, had been taken down, and the Spread 
Eagle of America had been put in its place. And, Oh ! 
saddest of all, the Cross, the divine monogram of Christ 
and Saviour, as well as emblem of His suffering and 
death vicariously, was forbidden. Timidly and com- 
promisingly all over the land did Churchmen sweep 
away from the Prayer Book not only those suffrages 
which pertained to the English Government, but, alas ! 
too many of the ancient symbols which for eighteen 
centuries had taught "the faith once delivered to the 
" Saints." 

Here, the Congregational minister was consulted con- 
cerning the calling of a Rector for the church which, 
in all his instructions and prejudices, he must deny. 
And the man who had interfered even, by writing to 
Dr. Gibson, the Lord Bishop of London, to prevent the 
ordination of the useful and honored John Checkley, 
whom the parish of St. Michael's desired to elect as 
rector, was taken into the councils of the vestry. 

For many years after the Revolution, the history of 
the parish is one of sad struggles and sorrowful experi- 
ences. It was difficult to procure an efficient clergy- 
man on the limited salary the church could offer. The 
war left Marblehead impoverished, and the ministers, 
with the people, were called to suffer many privations 



15 

and sorrows. Then, too, those clergymen who could be 
obtained on the small salaries, soon failed to attract 
enough people to their ministrations to obtain even a 
meagre support. 

The Rev. Thomas Fitch Oliver was the first rector 
after the Revolution. He remained five years, and was 
then told " that the parish was no longer able to pay 
" his salary." 

He was succeeded in 1791 by the Rev. William Har- 
ris, who had been a teacher in the academy and had 
officiated in the church as lay reader. He was, by re- 
quest, " Ordained Episcopally " and settled at a salary 
of " sixty pounds sterling per annum and the unmarked 
" money in the contributions," which amounted alto- 
gether to but about $300 a year. He remained eleven 
years and resigned, much to the regret of the parish, 
and went to New York city. 

After him, came the Rev. James Bowers, on a salary 
of $500 per annum, who remained nine years, and was 
then informed that "the people were dissatisfied," and 
in December, 1811, was requested to resign, with a 
" continuance of his salary and the use of the glebe 
" until Easter." 

In 1813, the Rev. John Prentis Kewley Henshaw, 
afterwards Bishop of Rhode Island, was settled on a 
salary of $500, and the promise of $200 more from 
Bishop Griswold. He remained but one year. 

For four years after there was no rector, save the 
Rev. Joseph Andrews, who for four months in 1816, 
had the cure, to the great satisfaction of the parish. 
He resigned, much to the people's regret, to go as mis- 
sionary to the foreign field. 



16 

In 1818, the Rev. Benjamin Bosworth Smith, now 
presiding Bishop of the United States, and then just 
ordained, accepted the rectorship, after officiating eight 
months, at a salary of $400 and the use of the glebe. 

The parish was greatly embarrassed when he was en- 
gaged, and the business of the town was prostrated by 
the two wars and the raging of the small pox, before 
alluded to, and before one year had passed financial 
trouble and the lack of confidence between the rector, 
vestry and the parish compelled Mr. Smith to resign in 
a very sad and complaining letter dated June 24th, 
1819, which is preserved among the records of the 
church. His resignation was accepted, and the sum of 
$400 was borrowed to settle his claim of salary, for 
which the glebe was mortgaged — an act done without 
the legal consent of the parish, and which led in the 
end to its alienation from the church. 

It was on the Fourth of July of this sad year, 1818, 
that the sweet-toned church bell was swung to pieces 
ringing for Independence. And now, without a bell and 
without a rector, and staggering under untold embar- 
rassments and difficulties for twelve years, the church 
had hardly a name to live. Several fruitless efforts 
were made to secure the services of a rector. In 1823 
the Rev. Lott Jones officiated for a few months. 

From 1825 to 1827, the Rev. Thomas S. W. Mott was 
rector; but in April, 1827, he was informed that "the 
'•state of the parish made it impossible to assure him 
"his salary." He thereupon resigned, and then the 
church was positively closed, and very few persons sup- 
posed that it would ever be opened again for liturgic 
services. 



17 

Five sad years now passed during which no bell 
called to prayer, and no sweet declaration assured the 
people that "the Lord was in His Holy Temple." The 
rich vessels of our Holy Communion Service lay open 
to sacrilegious or pilfering hands. The church key 
hung behind the water -spout, and whoever pleased 
might open and enter the sanctuary of God. Truly 
" the wild boar out of the forest did waste her," and 
yet, to the credit of Marblehead be it spoken, that 
though scattered and thrown aside as useless, the Holy 
Communion vessels were all preserved but one of the 
ancient chalices, and from these time-honored and God- 
preserved vessels we this day received the " Blood of 
" the Everlasting Covenant." 

In 1821, the glebe, having become hopelessly in- 
volved, was sold, illegally, by those who acted for the 
church, and thus was lost the fine rectory and lot 
which, for an hundred years, had been the property of 
St. Michael's parish; and the next year, viz: 1822, an 
effort was made to alienate the Church also from Episco- 
pacy. At this time, the Channing movement was 
sweeping through the Congregational Churches of New 
England. The Second Society, here, became Unitarian, 
and the Hon. William Reed, being a member thereof, 
and a gentleman of influence, as well as strong in the 
faith and worship taught by the Puritan fathers, and 
furthermore, believing, doubtless, that it would never 
again be possible to revive the Anglican worship of 
St. Michaels, he bought pews, became a proprietor and 
vestry-man of the church, and soon obtained a vote of 
the surviving proprietors to petition the Legislature to 
repeal the old charter of 1799, and to re-charter the 



18 

church as a " Congregational Meeting House." In this 
movement Mr. Reed seems to have had no decided op- 
position from the proprietors of St. Michael's, except 
from Dr. Drury, an old and influential warden and from 
that sturdy and brusque old sailor, Captain Trevot, who 
with an earnest expletive declared " It should not be 
"done." The aid of the Bishop of the diocese, and of 
the Rev. Mr. Carlisle of Salem, was invoked, and the 
churchmen of Boston, becoming greatly interested for 
the dear old church, the measure failed before the 
Legislature ; and thus again was preserved to us " the 
"faith once delivered to the Saints." 

By this effort to alienate the church from its Apos- 
tolic faith, the zeal and influence of a most noble band 
of christian women was provoked, who, with ceaseless 
toil and prayers, besought the people here, the church- 
men in Boston and the Bishop of the diocese for aid 
and influence in procuring a clergyman for the parish 
so rich in precious memories. Their efforts at last pre- 
vailed and on the first Sunday in Advent, December, 
1831, the Rev. Joseph H. Price officiated. The dear 
old altar was uncovered once more, and the long-neg- 
lected Holy Communion was celebrated. 

There are several communicants yet living who re- 
member that day, whose hearts leaped for joy as an 
inviting bell once more called to worship, and whose 
tears flowed in gratitude to God as they saw a goodly 
company gather to the holy and revered sanctuary ; 
among them one who ever after was a hearty benefac- 
tor of the church and to whom and his family St. 
Michael's has ever since been indebted. 

These noble christian ladies continued their labors 



19 

and by organizing in due time the present " Parish Aid 
" Society," have ever since, by their successors, been 
" helpers of the joy " of the ministers of the parish, 
and also in the care of the sick and the poor, like 
those pious women whom St. Paul commended to the 
church in Rome, " Succorers of Many." 

Mr. Price officiated about six months, and then the 
Rev. Geo. V. C. Eastman was settled as rector on a 
salary of $500; but at the end of one year he found 
it necessary to resign. He was followed in 1833 by 
the Rev. Wm. H. Lewis, now Rev. Dr. Lewis of Water- 
town, Conn., whose published sermons on the Christian 
Year have made him well known and distinguished. 
For seven years Mr. Lewis's ministry continued and 
was highly acceptable to the people and profitable to 
the church ; a large congregation being gathered and 
85 communicants added. But on his resignation many 
"fell away" showing that attachment was to the man, 
the minister and not to Christ. And the Faith and 
Discipline were less regarded than the popular currents 
which threw men into communion without examining 
or understanding the true grounds of christian fellow- 
ship. 

The Rev. John P. Robinson, for two years ; the Rev. 
Moses P. Stickney, for five years; the Rev. Nicholas 
Powers Tillinghast, for a few months, and the Rev. Ed- 
ward Ballard, for three years, filled up the interregnum 
of 18 years between Mr. Lewis and the Rev. John B. 
Richmond, who also for seven years was acceptable and 
popular. Popular with all as a preacher and acceptable 
to the people not communicants of the church, and once 



20 

more Old St. Michael's was well filled with the inhabit- 
ants of the town. 

Mr. Richmond resigned at Easter, 1858, and the Rev. 
Edwin B. Chase succeeded in 1860, and the Rev. Wm. 
R. Woodbridge in 1867, both of whose ministries are so 
well known as to need no notice at this time. A year 
passed without a rector, although services were con- 
stantly kept up, when your present incumbent was so 
cordially and unanimously elected. 

And now behold ! are we all here before God this 
day, with our grand old Liturgy intact, with the an- 
cient symbols preserved, and the Old Faith gleaming 
bright as an altar fire ! And with the prayer of our 
text most heartily uttered, " Return, we beseech thee, 
" God of hosts : look down from heaven, and behold, and 
" visit this vine ; and the vineyard which thy right hand 
" hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong 
" for thyself." We utter the prayer in faith, too ; for 
our people, instructed by Mr. Chase and encouraged by 
Mr. Woodbridge, have learned the scripture method of 
voluntary weekly offerings. And as the system is better 
understood and more faithfully and exactly followed, it 
is relieving our long-time embarrassed treasury and 
Christ is receiving His own of the temporal gifts of 
the people, and is returning an hundred fold of spirit- 
ual blessings into their hearts. 

We are yet a feeble flock, it is true, but thank God 
we are united, and it only needs that we keep "looking 
''unto" and wot king for Jesus, that we respect, honor 
and teach uncompromisingly " The Faith" without con- 
troversy and without apologies ; but holding up the 
Cross high above men, follow it ourselves and say to all, 



21 

" This is the way ; tvalk ye in it and ye shall find rest to 
"your souts" 

It ought to be stated here, to the credit of the vestry 
and congregation of this church, that unasked, they 
have in the past week notified their rector of an in- 
crease in his salary. God bless the people and make 
this the omen of grander results. 

My task is done. I have searched the records and 
studied the history of the church and of the times and 
trials through which she has passed, and I look on her 
now and say, Dear, hallowed temple ; sanctified by 
faith and toil and tears ; every timber, plank and board 
and nail represents to us the devotion of our fathers to 
the truth ; while the ancient Reredos, with its Credo 
and Law, its Christ and Jehovah, and the solid and 
sacred Communion Service, with the ancient and bright- 
ly shining Chandelier; with all the holy dust of the 
buried saints around us, bid us " Go on unto perfection," 
and never rest until " Hallowed be thy name," and " I 
" believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord," be 
taken up as the prayer and the creed by all whom St. 
Michael's bell can call and her sacred aisles can hold, 
who shall have gathered to say "Unto Him that loved 
" us and washed us from our sins in His own blood ; 
"to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 
" Amen." 



22 



^DDEND-A. 



The present form and appearance of the church building 
gives a very imperfect idea of the original. At first it was 
exactly square, having no vestibule, but entered by two doors — 
one on the south, the other on the west side — which each led 
to broad aisles, crossing each other at right angles. The 
pews were square. The Altar and Ancient Reredos were at 
the head of the aisle which terminated in the east, and the 
ancient pulpit, of a wineglass pattern, with a prayer desk in 
front, were at the northern terminus. The ceiling was in the 
form of a St. Andrew's Cross, corresponding to the form of the 
aisles, and supported by four solid oak columns. The roof had 
seven gables — three on the east, one on each corner of the 
west side, with the tower surmounted by a handsome spire in 
the center, and one each on the north and south sides. This 
original form of the roof can now be seen under the present 
peculiar shaped roof which was made thus, simply to cover the 
other, when an addition was made in 1728. 

The entire frame was of oak, gotten out in England, from 
whence all parts of the house were brought, and we cannot, in 
reviewing the history of this wonderfully preserved temple, but 
regret that the original form, which must have been of the best 
type of English parish churches, has been marred. 

In 1*728 an addition of fifteen feet was made. In 1764 a 
gallery was built on the west side under the tower for an 
organ and choir loft. In 1833 very extensive repairs were 



23 

made. The altar and reredos were moved to the north end. 
The pulpit and reading desk were placed on opposite sides of 
the church and slip pews were put in. In 1844, the Ladies' 
Parish Aid Society, by their own efforts, with the consent of the 
vestry, erected the present commodious Chapel and Sunday 
School Room. In 1858, the walls were frescoed, the ceiling 
tinted and the wood work grained in imitation of English oak, 
and gas and a furnace put in, and the roof re-shingled, at a 
total expense of 12,100.00. Other improvements have been 
made from time to time, mainly by the efforts of the ladies of 
the Parish Aid Society, so that the dear old church is well 
preserved and in good order. 

Its greatest drawback at this time is its insufficient entrance. 
By some previous mismanagement, the church stands on no 
street and can only be reached by an alley way twelve feet 
wide running up from Washington street alongside of the back 
yards of private residences, one of which is a tenant house 
which shuts the church almost entirely from view, and whose 
back yard and out house are directly in front of the church 
door. Since the Anniversary Services, however, the money has 
been pledged nearly, and negotiations are now pending for its 
purchase and removal. 

N. B. — The purchase was made Jan. 15th, 1873. — [J. W. L. 

ANCIENT RELICS. 

The Church is rich in these ! Her Reredos is preserved in 
the ancient lettering done in England in 1714. This Reredos 
was surmounted by the English Royal Monogram and Coat of 
Arms, which was removed during the Revolutionary War, and 
the American Spread Eagle was substituted ; but this is no 
longer visible. 

The Holy Communion Service is of solid silver, the Flagon 
weighing four pounds. It was presented in 1745 by Mr. David 
LeGallais. 

An ancient Brass Chandelier, of great beauty, still hangs 
in the center of the original ceiling, which was the gift of John 
Elbridge, Esq., collector of the port of Bristol, England, in the 
year 1732. 



24 

THE ANNIVERSARY. 

This was held on the Feast of St. Michael's and All Angels, 
September 29th, 1872. The dear old temple had been decorated 
by the ladies of the parish in a profusion of rare and beautiful 
flowers. The Altar, the Prayer Desk, the Pulpit and the old 
Chandelier were covered almost; while the Font was a vast 
pyramid of exotics, winch covered and tilled it, Leaving simply 
room enough for the baptismal water, which was used in the 
afternoon. From every window and arch hung beautiful bask- 
ets of flowers, and a Lovely cross of white flowers stood on the 
altar. 

Morning prayer was said at 10 1-2 o'clock, at which the rec- 
tor was assisted by the I Jew Edwin II. ( base, rector of St. 

Peter's Church, Cambridge. After the Ante Communion, an 
"All Saints 1 ' service was held, — the rector reading the necrol- 
ogy of all the honored dead which the church records contained 
from the year 17 Hi, being 625. The Holy Communion was 
then celebrated by the Rev. Mr. Chase, who was a former rec- 
tor. At this service many former communicants were present, 
and with glad hearts joined in the "Communion of Saints." 

In the afternoon a Children's Service was held, at which the 
rector received six into "the Flock of Christ" by the Sacra- 
menl of Baptism, and the Rev. Mr. Chase made an address. 
The differenl Sunday School classes each then eame forward 
to the chancel rail and made offerings of heaiitiful Illumin- 
ated Scripture Texts, in frames, for the adorning of the walls 
of the Chapel. Two line photographs — one of the Kev. Mr. 
Chase, the other of the Rev. Mr. Woodbridge, former rec- 
tors — were also presented. 

In the evening, Evening Prayer was said, the rector being 
assisted by the Kev. Mr. Chase and the Kev. W. DeOrville 
Doty, rector of St. Paul's Church, Waterloo, X. Y., whose wife 
was formerly a Sunday School scholar of St. Michael's. Then 
followed the sermon, to which the vast congregation, filling all 
parts of the house, clear up to the chance! rail and standing 
upon the gallery stairs, in the vestibule, and even out upon t In- 
steps and porch, listened with unabated interest lor an hour. 
Indeed, such was the interest manifested in this service by the 



25 

townspeople and many of the residents of Salem, that many 
persons were unable even to gain an entrance into the church, 
who attempted to do so. The offertory through the day was 
devoted to a rectory saving fund, and the congregation re- 
sponded liberally. 

Thus ended a red letter day for "Old St. Michael's," long to 
remembered by all who were privileged to participate therein. 

RECTORY. 

Since the above was in type, two Elect Christian ladies of the 
Parish, have purchased the estate west of the church, known as 
the Powers Estate, and after erecting a fine Rectory thereon, 
will present it to the church, as a memorial of their mother, 
Mrs. Eunice Hooper. This record we make in heartfelt grati- 
tude to God, and praying the choicest blessing of Christ upon 
the donors forever. 



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